The UC Santa Cruz story is one built on courage—the courage to be different, to question the accepted, and dare to make the world a better place. And it shows.
UC Santa Cruz was founded in 1965 as the movement away from the conservative '50s was in full swing and America was experiencing a transformation. The founding faculty, administrators, and students embraced and embodied this change. They were open and revolutionary in their thinking—more than mere radicals, they dared to imagine a living and learning environment that would foster a community whose
08/20/2026
Take us back to ! 🌲
Last weekend, alumni across decades gathered together on campus to sleep in the dorms, eat in the dining hall, and walk through the redwoods with new family members and old friends.
From Stars and S’mores and Drag Story Hour to faculty lectures and UCSC trivia, this weekend was unforgettable.
08/20/2026
Meet Natalie Schultz, a 2026 UC Santa Cruz graduate who gained valuable career skills to be a science teacher while earning her degree in ecology and evolutionary biology! 🌱👩🏫
Thanks to UCSC’s Degree-Defining Experience Program, Natalie secured an internship teaching science and math to middle school students through our Cal Teach program. She learned academic standards and built professional skills in a real classroom in Santa Cruz County. This experience helped her realize that education was her true path, and Natalie now plans to pursue her master’s degree and teaching credential at UCSC while student teaching at Santa Cruz City schools. If you’re a science or math major interested in exploring a career in education, check out !
💡The Degree-Defining Experiences Program offers transformational learning opportunities for UC Santa Cruz undergraduates in the form of experiential field courses and other activities outside the classroom. Learn more or support the program! Visit the link in ’s bio or email [email protected].
🎥 Video description: Natalie discusses her time at Cal Teach instructing middle schoolers through the Degree-Defining Experience Program over b-roll of her guiding young students in the classes, collaborating with peers, walking around campus, and being interviewed while sitting outside on a bench.
08/13/2026
“During this whole period, I was really learning how the power of film really can be a great tool for social change and education.” -Ethan van Thillo (Merrill ’92, Latin American and Latino studies)
From founding UC Santa Cruz’s first Chicano film festival as an undergraduate student to launching the San Diego Latino Film Festival and serving as Executive Director of the Media Arts Center San Diego, van Thillo has dedicated his career to using cinema for social justice.
van Thillo was raised in an artistic household centered on social activism and when he arrived at UCSC, the Latin American and Latino Studies Department further shaped his path. Encouraged by visiting professor Armando Valdez and advised by professor Julianne Burton-Caravajal, he turned a class project into a recurring multi-day festival featuring 10-20 films. He even wrote his senior thesis on how to organize a Chicano film festival.
Just two years after graduating from UCSC, van Thillo launched the San Diego Latino Film Festival, which eventually grew into the Media Arts Center San Diego in 1999— – a non-profit that supports emerging filmmakers and empowers community members with digital storytelling skills.
Today, van Thillo remains deeply committed to UCSC, continuing to use media as an artistic tool to drive social change.
08/07/2026
“You make it onto campus and you realize you’re somewhere special,” -Jessica Lum (Rachel Carson ’09, environmental studies and economics)
Jessica Lum has been selected to serve as an alumni regent on the UC Board of Regents beginning last month. From reviewing student essays for the Alumni Association Scholarship program to championing opportunities for current students to connect with alumni, Lum has consistently shown up for her campus community. Now, she is representing over 2 million University of California graduates across the state as UC Santa Cruz’s sixth alumni regent.
The two alumni regent seats rotate among the 10 UC campuses. In this role, Lum serves on the UC’s governing board and helps guide the systemwide Alumni Associations of the UC, acting as a vital bridge between alumni and executive leadership. During her time on the UCSC Alumni Council, Lum led a substantial project to update the council’s bylaws, creating the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee and the vice president of DEIB officer position, and streamlining the council’s elections process. Lum will serve as the alumni regent through 2028.
08/07/2026
Any other Banana Slugs catch this question on ? If you missed it, the episode is now streaming on Hulu, Disney+, and the ESPN App. Thank you, Jeopardy! 🍌🐌
📸 Image description: Dark blue Jeopardy question that reads: “Sammy, the mascot of UC Santa Cruz, is this type of slimy creature with a certain amount of appeal”
Undergraduate research is at the heart of the UC Santa Cruz experience. But for low-income and first-generation students, there are still financial barriers to participating in unpaid research. To foster the next generation of researchers, we must close equity gaps to ensure the future of research reflects the people it helps.
With the help of Building Belonging scholarships from the UC Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation, students can take part in paid, faculty-mentored research that drives tangible change and addresses the biggest social and environmental issues of our time.
Each year, the Institute awards up to 100 $1,500 scholarships to students from across the university to work alongside Social Sciences faculty. Students gain career-ready skills, build confidence, and develop a sense of belonging at an R1 research university.
With the help of everyday donors, we are inspiring change through mentorship and projects that help everyone. You can help support this program by visiting giving.ucsc.edu.
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07/24/2026
Taking UC Santa Cruz back to the 00s! 🏠📼🚗
07/24/2026
Attention future physicians: Ready to make an impact on your community? With PRIME Central Coast, you’ll tackle your core curriculum at UC Davis and return to the Central Coast for hands-on clinical rotations under local physicians.
UC Santa Cruz students can now apply through the UC Davis School of Medicine. The application closes October 1! Learn more at the link in our bio.
📸 Image descriptions:
1- Photo of smiling med students in white lab coats walking outside. Text reads: “Join the next generation of doctors serving the central coast.” UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis Health School of Medicine logos are at the bottom.
2- Photo of Big Sur bridge. Text reads: “PRIME Central Coast, a partnership between UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis, is now accepting applications for its inaugural 2027 cohort of students.”
3- Photo of Santa Cruz Beach at sunset. Text reads: “PRIME Central Coast is designed to help address California’s growing healthcare crisis and reflects UC Santa Cruz’s ever-expanding commitment to supporting the needs of the Central Coast.”
4- Photo of footbridge across tracks at San Luis Obispo Station with trees in the background. Text reads: “1. Apply, Apply by 10/1 to UC Davis School of Medicine through the American Medical Application Service (AMCAS). Link in bio.”
5- Photo of Santa Barbara's historic county courthouse with a sunset in the background. Text reads: “2. Indicate, Indicate your interest in PRIME Central Coast when completing the UC secondary application (if invited).”
6- Photo of California Coast in Pacific Grove. Text reads: “3. Be considered, Be considered for PRIME Central Coast once accepted to the UC Davis School of Medicine.”
7- Photo of historic city center in downtown Salinas. Text reads: “Get started today at the link in bio.”
07/23/2026
Oliver Tree Nickell's Celebration of Life will be held at the Quarry Amphitheater at UC Santa Cruz this Saturday, July 25. Oliver was a true artist who inspired, and continues to inspire, millions of people around the world. We are honored to welcome his family, friends, and fans to campus to celebrate his life, creativity, and community impact. 🩷💛💜
The program and livestream will begin at 7:30 p.m. PT and consist of live music, tribute videos from Oliver’s life, and various speakers from Oliver’s friends and family. Limited tickets are available if you’d like to attend in-person: OliverTree.Live
Because access to the Quarry will be limited to ticket-holders, we kindly ask that only those with tickets go to the amphitheater. We invite his supporters to gather, hold watch parties, and experience the celebration together online. Tune into 's social media channels to watch the live-stream.
Our hearts go out to Oliver's family, friends, fans, and the entire Santa Cruz community affected by this tremendous loss. We look forward to celebrating such a larger-than-life auteur with you all. 🛴🌲